Scientific Anglers Skagit Short Review

 

SCIENTIFIC ANGLERS

Skagit Short fly line




Scientific Anglers has added a smart tool to the two-handed rod angler's toolbox. Specifically designed to be cast and fished with shorter rods or for wading in deep waters and tight quarters, this compact skagit line provides all the benefits of casting heavy tips and big, heavy flies, while providing access to new water that can sometimes be difficult to cast and fish from.

The SA Short came in handy on my last outing to a Great Lakes Steelhead river this fall. There is a section of water I enjoy fishing when the levels are high. It’s hard to reach because of a cliff that falls into the pool. It’s also hard to fish because of the cedars and pines hanging overhead.  The only wadable area is in 2 to 3 foot deep soft water between the cliff wall and a heavy rapid spilling off a big bend in the river. Fish will hold on either side of the rapid's seams and especially where the rapid slows to a fast riffle and on through to the tailout.

Despite my 12' 6" rod barely clearing the overhead trees, I was able to perform tight, sustained anchored casts, standing in deep water with hardly any room behind me. 

The SA Skagit Short is designed to be cast with tips. Its short head casts out a variety of tips and flies easily and efficiently even as the afternoon breeze turned into strong gusts. The compact length also made it easier for me to manage the head floating over the varying current speeds and eddies, allowing me to adjust my angle to achieve the desired depth and swing speed in hopes of tempting a late fall steelhead. Two fish were fooled - but they both got the best of me in the high water.

Creating an efficient D loop can be a struggle with longer lines while standing in waist-deep water because of the shorter distance between the rod tip and water surface. The SA Skagit Short's length shines here, but it is not limited to deep wading only. I've fished it in the many different circumstances a days fishing can bring. This line can be cast in many scenarios, including shallow wading. 

The Skagit Short is best suited for rods shorter than 13 feet. Remembering the fundamentals of sustained anchored casts is key to fishing compact skagit heads. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides, keep initial lift low and bring the anchor in tight, allow the tip to sink under the surface at anchor point, apply constant rod load throughout the sweep and forward stroke, and slowing everything down will help in avoiding blown anchors with these shorter heads. It also helped to cast with some running line overhang of up to 3 feet when I did wade shallow. 

The SA Skagit Short has a braided mutifilament core and durable PVC coating that is supple and flexible. It's dry-slick AST technology, keeps it clean from dirt allowing it to float higher on the water surface. The head color is a muted Mist Green with a high contrast black sighter at the rear of the head indicating overhang position. 

The easy to read laser printed line identification system identifies head length and grainage marked within the first 2 feet of the tip section. The welded loops on both ends make changing tips or the entire head fast and easy. 

(great features for us head hoarders who like to carry and change a variety of lines and tips for adjusting to different water levels and speeds on stream).

SA Skagit Short heads are available in lengths from 18' to 20.5' and in weights of 450 grains to 570 grains.

In a nutshell, the SA Skagit Short is an easy casting head that will get your fly to where you want it while fishing short rods in tight spaces. This line has earned a dedicated space in my wallet.

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